Can Star Trek Continue? [VIDEO]

Can the original Star Trek series continue on its five year mission where it left off in 1969? The creators of Star Trek Continues think so.

The original Star Trek series has been recast and is attempting to pick up immediately where the original series left off before it was cancelled. Can they bring back the magic of the original series in this new web-based series? Perhaps if they stay true to the spirit of the original series and the vision of Gene Roddenberry and those that shaped the original production (at least for the first two seasons) they can.

Some will argue (and quite rightfully) that much of the success of the original series can be attributed to the chemistry of the cast. No one can say that wasn't the case with the three principles, and I would extend that to the rest of the regular cast.

The new cast are trying to stay true to their characters, but not necessarily imitate or impersonate the original actors. I believe they are trying capture the spirit of the original talents involved. A couple notables in the cast include Chris Doohan as Chief Engineer Scott ("Scotty"), the son of the late James Doohan who originated the part. Mr. Sulu may look familiar as he is being played by Grant Imahara of Mythbusters fame.

The following is a short video teaser for the new series that is scheduled to launch this month (August 2012) with the episode, 'The Price of Anything.' In this teaser, it picks up immediately with the last scene of the last episode of the original series, "Turnabout Intruder."

Star Trek Continues on Vimeo: "On June 3, 1969. Dr. Janice Lester was led away and Kirk, Spock & Scotty walked into a Turbolift . That was the last live action anyone would see of the original series of Star Trek.

For many of us, Star Trek has shaped who we've become. It is our passion, our love and even our moral compass. Most importantly, it binds fans together from across the planet into a spirited discourse on the many dimensions of our fictional universe. Carl Sagan said it best, 'We are all connected . . .', and indeed, Star Trek connects each of us to one another.

We would have many more adventures with Kirk and crew over the years, but never again in the style of the original series or with the original actors. Our particular passion is a certain time and place in the Star Trek Universe, and that's what we'd like to share with you. This is the beginning of our vision of how a little show that became a worldwide phenomenon could have evolved had it never ended.

Unlike the J.J. Abrams' 2009 film, they have chosen to continue the original series timeline instead of destroying it. I find this far more inviting and interesting.

The sets, costumes, and props have been recreated with great detail along with the use of the original sound effects and music. I look forward to seeing more of the production.

Does this all sound familiar to you? In fact, all of this has been done before with Star Trek: New Voyages AKA Star Trek: Phase II, a web-series that began in 2004 I believe that has essentially done the same thing as Star Trek Continues. It too recreates the original cast, costumes, sets, and props with continuing adventures not seen in the televised series.

Phase II has also had some of the original actors and writers from Star Trek appear in the web-series including Walter Koenig, George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney, and Denise Crosby.

The video below is a short vignette of this web-series dating back to 2006 called "Center Seat" featuring Lt. Sulu and Lt. DeSalle.

This may not be the best example of the series, but it does give you a taste of what they were able to accomplish even six years ago.

There's no replacing the original cast and what they brought to their respective parts in the original series. These two productions prove that you can recreate it in spirit though and perhaps explore it further without destroying what came before it.

What do you think?

I haven't seen all that much of Phase II yet. I need to catch up on it. Star Trek Continues looks interesting. We shall see what comes of it shortly. Neither have the budget of a J.J. Abrams film, but they have managed to stay more honest and true to the original material without having to resort to the big "reset button" as it were.

Phase II accepts donations on their website to fund their web-series, I believe Star Trek Continues is funded via its production company Farragut Films, a non-profit organization based in Maryland.